General Guidelines:
  • To be acceptable for publication, manuscripts must be relevant, well-written, thought-provoking, and of interest to our MinneTESOL readers.
  • Submissions should be written in an accessible and conversational style.
  • We seek contributions from a variety of language learning contexts. All contributions should include references to research and other work related to the topic. Examples from various classroom contexts are welcomed.
  • This is an online journal, so authors are encouraged to include graphics, visuals, web links, or other enhancements to written texts.
Submission Types:

We are looking for a variety of submission types, including:

  • Empirical Research: This manuscript presents the design and findings of a study.
  • Research-Informed: This manuscript presents practitioner or administrator knowledge, strategies, and/or experiences.
  • Resource Review: This manuscript presents a review of a language teaching resource such as a book, website, or curriculum.
  • Opinion Editorial: This manuscript responds to a current issue in the field connecting research, experience, and ideas.
Length and Format of Manuscripts:
  1. Manuscripts should be between 1,500-2,500 words, including references. Longer manuscripts may also be accepted at the discretion of the editors.
  2. Please include an engaging title.
  3. Include a 1-3 sentence summarizing statement (if published, this will be included on the journal main page right underneath the article heading). Example: Title: Teaching for Developmental Diversity: An Approach to Academic Language and Critical Thinking Summarizing statement: For a successful transition into college, ABE learners will benefit from academic language and critical thinking practice that is informed by constructive-developmental theory.
  4. A web-based, interactive article will be broken into sections for ease of reading. Each section should be between 1-4 paragraphs in length and include a descriptive heading. For example, rather than title a section as Discussion, choose an engaging section title such as “What makes teaching summarizing so hard?”
  5. Please use Microsoft Word, and choose an easy-to-read format such as Times New Roman or Arial.
  6. Double-space all copy and number all pages.
  7. Authors are encouraged to include a short list of additional resources, such as readings, websites, etc. with their submission.
  8. When using images and other media from the web, it is the author’s responsibility to ensure these are Creative Commons licensed. If not, please seek and receive permission from the author/owner/artist before using the media in your manuscript.  General information about fair use in educational materials can be found here: http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/curr280b.shtml and here: http://www.copyright.gov/fair-use/more-info.html
APA Style:

Given the less technical writing style of the MinneTESOL Journal and our mission to be accessible and meaningful for readers, we will allow some flexibility in formatting and style. As a general rule, however, submissions should conform to the specifications outlined in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 7th edition. Authors bear full responsibility for the accuracy of citations, quotations, figures, and facts.

Artwork and Photographs:
  • We welcome the inclusion of photographs and other visuals related to your manuscript. Note that digital photos must have a resolution of at least 300 dpi. When submitting, please include the name of the photographer or the source as well as a note to explain visuals, such as the name of a school or connection to your manuscript.  This information helps us when we write captions.
  • Authors are responsible for obtaining the necessary permissions to use any photographs or artwork they provide. If we decide to use your photographs for publication, you will be asked to sign and return a MinneTESOL Journal photo permission form giving us permission to use the photographs in your article and guaranteeing that all persons in each photograph have given their permission for the photograph to be published.
Review of Manuscripts:
  • First authors for each manuscript will be notified if their submissions are selected for publication or not. For manuscripts accepted for publication, the editors may suggest revisions and resubmission.
  • Before final publication, the editors reserve the right to make minor changes in the manuscript to enhance clarity or style.
Submissions:
  • Please submit 2 documents in Scholastica. If you want to include photos, please submit them in a separate document; you will need to submit 3 documents.
  1. Cover page:
    • Title of manuscript
    • Name and email address for each of the authors
    • A 100-word biography for each author
    • Specify whether you are submitting your manuscript for blind peer review (2 reviewers) or editorial review (1 reviewer). Please note that book reviews and opinion pieces are automatically designated for editorial review (1 reviewer).
  1. Manuscript (please remove all identifying information, including names and affiliations):
    • Title of manuscript
    • Summarizing statement (1-3 sentences). If published, this will be included on the journal main page.
    • 3-7 keywords to facilitate searches for readers. Please identify one or more keywords that are applicable to your manuscript. Some keywords may relate to the most relevant teaching context or student population, e.g.: Adult, College, Elementary, Middle School, Retired Teachers, Secondary, SLIFE (Students with Limited or Interrupted Formal Education), Teacher Education.
    • Manuscript (1,500-2,500 words)
  1. Photos:
    • You are welcome to submit a photo or other visual enhancement relevant to your manuscript. If your manuscript is accepted for publication, you will be required to provide documentation of permission for use of photos/visuals.
    • Submit JPGs or PNGs in a separate document (photos that are high quality so they are not pixelated).
    • Please indicate where the photos are to be located in the manuscript by either: 1) including a copy of the photo in the manuscript, or  2) indicating in the manuscript where the photo should go, e.g., “FIGURE 1 about here.” 
  • Submit your documents via Scholastica (link below).
  • Submissions are accepted on a rolling basis. However, the priority deadline for the Fall issue is August 15, and for the Spring issue it is February 15.

Published Articles and Creative Commons We support open access to the knowledge and information published in this online journal, so we do not require payment or a license to view content posted here. We also support the authors who share work here. We have chosen to adopt a Creative Commons: Attribution-NonCommercial- NoDerivatives license.  As an author, this means that anyone with the link to the journal can read your work, but cannot profit from your work and they must give you credit if they refer to it.

Questions? Any questions about topics or guidelines for submission to the MinneTESOL Journal should be addressed to the Journal Editors: Suzanne McCurdy ([email protected]) and Holly Krech Thomas ([email protected]).